Letter 8003: The most eloquent man, our son Faustinus, has come to us and complained that his late father Peltrasius left some things which were not his own to your Church for his burial. And indeed he knows himself, and we have heard, what the secular law is in such a case; namely, that the heir is bound to pay if his father has bequeathed what was not his ...

Gregory to Donus, Bishop of Messana [Messina, in Sicily]. Our eloquent son Faustinus has come to us with a complaint: his late father Peltrasius left certain items to your church for his burial that were not his to give. Faustinus knows the secular law in such cases, as do we -- the heir is legally obligated to pay if his father bequeathed what was not his own. But since I know your Fraternity lives by God's law rather than the world's, it seems plainly unjust to me that you are holding onto an amber cup and a boy who reportedly belongs to a church on Faustinus's property in the diocese of Consentia. The most reverend Palumbus -- now a bishop, then an archdeacon -- confirmed this account, and you should have taken his word and returned what was not yours. You should also consider the golden brooch, which represents nearly all Faustinus has left for the support of his family, and whether it was appropriate to accept it as payment for a burial. I must remind you of what I have firmly established: I have entirely forbidden the old custom in our Church of charging money for burial. If the men of Shechem -- Gentiles, mind you -- offered Abraham a burial place for Sarah free of charge, and could barely be persuaded to accept payment, should we who are called bishops be charging fees to bury the faithful? I leave this to your Fraternity's conscience. Faustinus also complains that Sisinnius, the defensor [legal guardian] of your church, is wrongfully holding slaves that belong to him -- and claims that Bishop Maximianus had already ruled on this matter in his favor.

Book VIII, Letter 3 To Donus, Bishop of Messana (in Sicily). Gregory to Donus, etc. The most eloquent man, our son Faustinus, has come to us and complained that his late father Peltrasius left some things which were not his own to your Church for his burial. And indeed he knows himself, and we have heard, what the secular law is in such a case; namely, that the heir is bound to pay if his father has bequeathed what was not his own. But, as we know that your Fraternity lives by the law of God and not of the world, it seems to me very unjust that an amber cup, and a boy who is said to be of a certain church situate on his property in the diocese of Consentia, should be detained by your Fraternity. For, when the most reverend Palumbus, now bishop, but then archdeacon, had testified that things were as I have said, you certainly ought to have taken his word, and restored what was not your own. Further, you ought in my opinion to have considered the golden brooch, which would be his whole substance were there anything for the sustenance of those he had left behind him, and accepted it at that time for his burial. Nevertheless, you know our ordinance, how that we have entirely forbidden the old custom in our Church, nor give our assent to any one being allowed to acquire burial-places for a human body for a price. For, if the men of Sichem, who were as we suppose Gentiles, offered without charge to Abraham sepulture for the dead Sara to be buried in a place of her own, and were hardly prevailed upon by his great importunity to receive a price for her place of burial, ought we, who are called bishops, to make any charge for burying the bodies of the faithful? This, then, we commit to the judgment of your Fraternity. The aforesaid most eloquent man complains also of this; that Sisinnius, the guardian (defensor) of your Church, unreasonably detains slaves in his possession: concerning whom also he asserts that it had been decided by the judgment of bishop Maximianus of holy memory that the detainer of them should give them up, but that he has so far wilfully put off their restitution. We therefore exhort your Fraternity that, if the case has manifestly been adjudged, what was ordained be carried out. Otherwise, some one being deputed to act in the case, cause him to resort to the parts of our brother and fellow bishop Secundinus for judgment, that, when it shall have been declared by his sentence to whom the slaves in question belong, neither the one party may appear to suffer prejudice nor the other bear a grudge. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360208003.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.